sugar low's and sex

Friend

what do others do when sugar lows interupt or ruin the mood? I have tried eating all kinds of things to increase my bg's ( even stuff WE should avoid like jelly beans ) before hand but is of no help. I have had bg results of 12-16mmoll and still drop down to low 1's and 2's. This is starting to bother me in the fact that it is becoming every time we try to get intimate I wind up crashing. Now granted both my wife and I have our "needs" but feel like I am neglecting her's. Is it just the D at work here or does the adrenalin really affect the bg levels this much? We used to be a very intimate couple and would like to get back to "the old me" and start being spontanious again without having to drink 5 regular sodas a handful of candies as I realise this is not a very good way for me to achieve this. Anyone with any suggestions on the matter would be appreciated.

E

ecb_peterson

Guest

Ok, I know there have been a few other posts about similar situations, but I want to make one comment. I know when I exercise, if I have only simple sugars beforehand, I will inevitably have a low. And from what you mentioned, you routinely only have simple sugars.. pop and candy. If you need to eat ahead of time, make sure that your snack includes protein of some kind, like a sandwich, or crackers and peanut butter. Don't forget that food can be a very sensual activity too. Such as wine, crackers, and cheese. Or get wild and crazy with strawberries and chocolate. I know it's hard to be spontaneous this way, but I really believe that if you get some long term sugar in your body, aka protein, it will at least help the situation...

D.D. Family

This reminds me of that book "Sex and Diabetes" by Janis Roszler. It was publiched by the ADA. She covers just about everything from A to Z involving this topic. It is paperback that you can buy on amazon.com.

Member

Or get wild and crazy with strawberries and chocolate. I know it's hard to be spontaneous this way, but I really believe that if you get some long term sugar in your body, aka protein, it will at least help the situation...

This is a great suggestion. Strawberries and chocolate will serve you well. Honey is lot of fu..... I mean a very effective way to raise your bs also.

That being said, I'd have some carbs (starches and such, not just straight sugar) ahead of time so you have some longer acting glucose on board and get some protein as well to help spread things out and give you a more controlled absorption. This is especially true if you're going to be "involved" for a longer period of time. You wouldn't want to go high and then come crashing down again. Most likely you'll need to experiment to see what works best for you based on your activity level and the duration of said activity. Practice makes perfect after all...

Friend

I should have been more clear on the subject. I can start off with a bg of say 14 mmoll but after we start.... is when they drop drastically, and this is when I eat candies or drink some pop when I am at a 1.3mmoll for say. I do eat regularly " " normal foods but I still seem to have the low bg problems. I do however thank everyone for the replies, I really appreciate it.

Friend

Yes, pretty much anything that involves physical activity drops my bg's,walking, biking,over playing with the kids, even regular house work, IE: up and down stairs doing laundry, mowing the lawn. Plus being a stay at home dad of 3 that constantly keeps me on the go lol. I have recently stopped working(driving taxi) as my bg's are dropping to frequently, without the symptoms. And the thing is I eat well with lots of snacks and drinks throughout the day so the lows are some what baffling me. I take humalog at a 1u:10g but usually when doing things that are physical I minus 1 or 2 units to prevent the lows. As for the Lantus I take 16 u @ 10:00pm and 11u at 10:00am. ?????????????????????????????? Don't understand it right now.

Member

Have you done basal testing to make sure your Lantus dose isn't too high? I'm assuming you have with your dose split that way, just checking. It's unusual that any activity would make you drop so quickly. Sounds like you might want to talk to your endo about it.

D.D. Family

I totally agree with advice given. You shouldn't have to live like this with these repeated lows. Maybe try testing through the night at say 2 am to see how your bg is doing. If it's good then, I would think it's your 10 am dose of Lantus. Your 10 am bg's are good, right?? If so then you can probably cut your Lantus dose back a couple units. I mean, I'm sure your trying to figure this out and thinking of everything but sometimes it helps seeing what others think. Battling lows is so hard sometimes. If at all possible, I think you would really benefit from a pump because you can cut back your basal for exercise and just take the pump off during sex.